The present invention relates to a cable guide assembly, and more particularly to a cable guide assembly for a vehicle sliding door.
Sliding doors find use in connection with many types of vehicles. Most notably, sliding doors have been widely used for minivans. Some sliding door designs require wiring that connects electrical components located inside the door with a power source or other electrical components located outside the door. For instance, an electric motor may be located inside the sliding door to drive the opening and closing of the sliding door. Furthermore, an electric motor may be located inside the sliding door to drive the opening and closing of a powered window located inside the sliding door. Where wiring connects components inside the sliding door with other electrical components located elsewhere in the vehicle, the wiring must travel with the sliding door as it moves between the open and closed positions.
The present invention provides a cable guide assembly for maintaining and controlling an electrical cable connected with components located in a vehicle sliding door.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a cable guide assembly for a sliding door on a vehicle, which sliding door is movable along a track between an open position and a closed position, the cable guide assembly comprising: (1) an elongated, bendable cable carrier having a flexible conductor extending therethrough for connecting an electrical component inside the sliding door with an electrical component outside the sliding door; and (2) attachment means for fixing a movable end of the cable carrier to the sliding door, wherein said movable end of said cable carrier follows movement of said door, as the door moves between the open and closed position, said cable carrier being mounted to said vehicle to be maintained substantially within a single generally horizontal plane, as the door is moved between said open position and said closed position.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling an elongated flexible cable carrier having a flexible conductor extending therethrough for connecting an electrical component inside a sliding door with an electrical component outside the sliding door, which sliding door is movable along a track between an open position and a closed position, the method comprising the steps of: (1) fixing a first end of an elongated flexible cable carrier relative to one end of said door for movement thereby; and (2) maintaining the cable carrier substantially within a first plane, as the door is moved between the open position and the closed position.
In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hanger for attaching one end of an elongated flexible cable carrier, having a flexible conductor extending therethrough, with a sliding door that is movable along a track between an open position and a closed position, said hanger comprising: at least one vertical portion, and at least two horizontal portions spaced to receive a cable carrier link.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hold down clip for fixing one end of an elongated flexible cable carrier, having a flexible conductor extending therethrough, said clip comprising: (1) a first vertical portion; (2) first and second horizontal portions; and (3) a lip extending downward from one end of said second horizontal portion, wherein said flexible cable carrier is captured between said first vertical portion and said lip to define a fixed end of the cable carrier.
An advantage of the present invention is the provision of a cable guide assembly for a vehicle sliding door that is substantially maintained in a single plane during operation of the sliding door.
Another advantage of the present invention is the provision of a cable guide assembly for a vehicle sliding door wherein a cable carrier remains out of view during operation of the sliding door.
Still another advantage of the present invention is the provision of a cable guide assembly for a vehicle sliding door wherein the cable carrier replicates adjacent to itself, as the sliding door is moved between an open position and a closed position.
These and other advantages will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment taken together with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.